Container



March 1938. L. \INOCLFF, NEE SALING 2,110,617

CONTAINER Filed April 26, 1957 INVENTOR Lzis'e all/ x66 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Application April 26, 1937, Serial No. 138,941 In Czechoslovakia March. 15, 1937 3 Claims.

This invention relates to luggage in general, and especially to luggage adjustable to varying receiving capacities, similar to my pending application Ser. No. 86,939, filed June 24th, 1936, now Patent No. 2,097,476, dated May 4, 1937, of which the present application is a continuation in part;

The prime object of this invention is to provide a relatively simple, but effective, expansible container, which, irrespective of its size, shape orparticular purpose, will be readily adjustable to any desired capacity, within its range, and will be dustproof at any adjusted, or its normal, collapsed position.

Another important object of this invention is to provide in an adjustable container of this kind positive combination means for guiding, adjusting and automatically locking and holding at desired positions the several adjustable parts of the container, and which means are provided with hand-operative instrumentalities for rendering the locking and holding feature of said means inefiective, when so desired.

Another object of my invention is to provide an adjustable container of the telescoping type, wherein the outer member consists of two permanently, but operatively united parts, one of which forms a sealing cover for the other part, and wherein the inner telescoping member is provided with a peripheral, outwardly projecting bottom sealing flange which extends into the path of operation of, and forms a stop for the bottom edge of the outer member.

By the term container it is to be understood that I mean any kind of luggage, including hand bags, traveling bags, hat boxes, trunks, knapsacks, and other types of containers which may be made advantageously adjustable and dustproof in the manner hereinafter explained.

The foregoing and still further objects of my invention will become better understood from the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, which in a more or less diagrammatical sense illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of my disclosure, and in which Fig. 1 illustrates a front elevation of a hat box according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of a trunk containing my improvements;

Fig. 4 is a typical vertical cross-sectional view through a side of my container in its normal, collapsed position;

Fig. 5 is a similar section in extended position;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of combination guiding, adjusting and looking or holding means, forming a part of my invention; and

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of saidcombination means, partially in section on line '!'i of Fig. 6, attached to the two telescoping members of the container.

Referring now specifically to Figs. 4 and 5, numeral l0 denotes the outer telescoping member, which is composed of a relatively high lower part and a relatively short upper part i l, in the form of a cover, which is permanently associated with the lower part by means of hinge 12. The upper portion of the lower part is preferably thickened to form a rim 13. Its upper edge is recessed at M to form a dustproof, sealing seat for cover II when the latter is closed and locked. Rim i3 is also recessed at iii to a depth approximately equal to the thickness of the inner telescoping member [6. This member is provided with a peripheral flange l1, which projects outwards into the path of travel of outer member in, and serves as stop and seal for the latters bottom edge.

Both members are interconnected with a continuous lining l8, which is secured to their inner faces. The outer end of the lining is fixedly attached to the outer member, at I9, while the major part of the lining preferably extends over the entire inner surface of the inner telescoping member, and is free from the upper edge of the latter to its outer attached end at [9. While the members are at their normal, collapsed position,-shown in Fig. 4, the free part of the lining forms a spacer or filler between the members, and outer attached end I9 of the lining is substantially below the upper edge of the inner telescoping member. When the device is in its fully extended position, as in Fig. 5, the free portion of the lining forms a dust-proof connection between the two members.

For the purpose of facilitating a ready adjustment of the container to any desired depth, I preferably employ especially adapted means, illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, wherein numeral 2 denotes a guide bar with an off-set upper end 2!, which latter is preferably fixedly attached to the stout portion or rim l3 of the outer telescoping member. The lower, free portion of the bar is provided with perforations 22, and is slidably held in a channel formation 23. The latter is fixedly associated with the inner telescoping member.

Secured to the raised portion of channel 23 is a spring leaf 24, the free end of which is preferably bent outwards at 25. Extending from the face of the leaf adjacent to the channel, a pin 26, passing through a guide-aperture 21 in the channel, cooperates with perforations 22 of bar 20. At the upper end of the channel structure are provided bearings 28, in which is mounted crank-like lever 29, terminating in a hand-operable extension 30. Lever 29 is designed for elevating the free end of leaf 24 to a position indicated in broken lines in Fig. '7, at which pin 26 disengages perforations 22 of bar 20, and becomes free of the latter. By moving extension 30 from its full-line position of Fig. 6, in the direction away from the channel, until lever 29 contacts with pin 26, the outward, bar-releasing position of the pin is reached.

While lever 29 is in its normal downward posi-' tion, pin 26 is intended to automatically snap into any one of the perforations 22, while riding over the unperforated portions of bar 2a. Lip 25 of leaf 24 serves for temporarily lifting pin 26 out of engagement with perforations 22. The positioning of lever 29 to a point whereby pin 26 is permanently freed from contact with bar 20, becomes advantageous when it is desired to either fully extend or fully collapse the container, whereupon lever 29 is returned to its normal, full-line position. Q

In constructing my telescoping containers, I prefer to employ several of my combination guide and adjusting means. When a container is round, such as a hat box, only three such means are required. For large collapsible trunks, four to six guides should be used. However, for small traveling bags, even two guides are sufficient.

The typical structures of telescoping containers illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, may be employed for any type of luggage, irrespective of shape or size. Similarly, the combination guide, adjusting and snap-in holding means, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, are applicable to any type of telescoping containers.

Evidently small refinements and changes in various details may be occasioned in the course of production, and I therefore reserve for myself the right to make changes and improvements in i my invention, within the scope and spirit thereing into the path of operation of, and serving as end stop for said one member, a dustproofing lining secured to the inner faces of said members, and being so arranged that when said members are in their normal, fully internested position, part of the lining forms a spacer and filler between the outer face of the inner member and the inner face of the outer member, combination guide and adjusting means associated with both members for automatically locking them at d.- sired positions relative to one another, said means having an instrumentality for rendering its locking feature inoperative when so desired.

2. In a container, two telescoping members, the outer member having a closure operatively and permanently associated therewith, the inner member having a peripheral bottom flange forming a stop and seal for said outer member, a lining fixedly secured to the inner faces of both members in such a manner that when the members are in their normal, completely internested position, the edge of the lining secured to the outer member will be substantially below the upper edge of the inner member, and combination guide and adjusting means secured to both members and including means for automatically locking the members at any desired position relative to one another, and other means cooperating with said locking means for rendering the latter inoperative, when desired.

3. In a container, two telescoping members, the outer member having its upper edge recessed, a closure hingedly associated with said outer member and engaging, when in closed position, the recessed edge of said outer member so as to form a seal for the latter, a dustproofing lining peripherally connecting. both members at their inner faces and being so arranged that its end, attached to the outer member, is disposed substantially below the upper edge of the inner member, when the members are at their normal, fully collapsed position, and combination guide and adjusting means associated with both members, said means being provided with automatically operative snap means for locking said members at desired extended positions, and a hand-operative instrumentality in cooperation with said snap means for rendering the latter inefiective for permitting free movement of the members relative to one another.

LISE WOLFF, NEE SALING. 

